Embossing devices are used to impress images into materials, such as paper. They serve as an alternative to printing images onto materials. Many times such devices are used on documents in lieu of printing because it is believed that impressed images are harder to forge or alter. Other times embossing devices are used because they make documents look more official. And, still other times embossing devices are used just for fun and amusement.
Previous designs of embossing devices are large, heavy and involve many parts. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 1,489,097 discloses a toy for cutting figures that has a main body with a handle. A separate male/female metal element is placed into the main body. When the handle is pressed, there is a clamping response that closes the male/female element which cuts the object placed between the male and female sections. U.S. Pat. No. Des. 284,722 discloses an embossing device that has two mating elements connected by a pin element. And, U.S. Pat. No. Des. 28,799 discloses a seal press case that has two circular dish-shaped members terminating in stems which are joined by a tube that is traversed by the base of a stirrup-shaped ring.
Because these prior embossing devices have many parts, they are more likely to break. Also, by having many parts, especially hinges, these devices can be unsafe. An individual's finger or skin can get caught and pinched when the device is closed. Further, another problem is that because they are so large and heavy, children, and often others, have difficulty holding and working them.
Moreover, the use of a plastic unitary embosser has herebefore not been successful because, on the one hand, the use of a rigid, stiff plastic would prevent the device from bending and closing, and, on the other hand, the use of a soft, pliable plastic would make repeated use of the device virtually impossible because each use would require a realignment of the embossing sections.